System of railroad automatic gates



6, E931. P. P. ESTEVEZ ET AL SYSTEM OF RAILROAD AUTOMATIC GATES Jan,

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 10, 1930 Jan. 6, 19310 P. P. ESTEVEZ ET AL SYSTEM OF RAILROAD AUTOMATIC GATES Filed April 10, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 6; 1931,, 7 P. P.'ESTEVEZ ETAL SYSTEM OF RAILROAD AUTOMATIC GATES Filed April 10, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 6, 1931 I a i j 13853514 UNITED STATES PATENT Y orrlcs rnnno r. ns'rnvnz Ann LUIS ENBIQUE EsrEvnz, --or HABANA, com

SYSTEM OF RAILROAD AUTOMATIC GATES 3 Application filed April 10, 1930. Serial No. 443,143.

This invention relates to gates at railroad Fig. i is a perspective View of oneofthe crossings, and has for its object to provide cabins in which one of the gates is mounted, an improved system ofsuch gates, the operatshowing thegate in its lifted position, andthe ing mechanism of which is arranged in such semaphore in its position of danger.

5 a manner that the operation of the gatesis Fig. 5 is aview similar to. Fig. 4, showing .55 made completely automatic from the passage the gate, in its downfallen position, and the of a 'train at a predetermined and relatively semaphore in its position of free way. considerable distance from the railroad cross- Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the cabin on I ing where such gatesare situated, it being unthe line 66 of Fig. 8, seen at a 90 angle 1 necessary to provide the mediation of an o'perwith respect to this latter figure. ator to operate such gates, which provides Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the cabin great advantages for the trafiic regulation at on the line 7'7 of Fig. 8, seen at a 90 angle.

the railroad crossings, the vehicles and perwith respect to this latter figure.

sons passing by the highways being thereby Fig. 8 isa vertical section of the cabin on prevented against the dangers to which they the line 8-8 of Fig. 6, seen at a 90 angle are actually exposed at the railroad crossings with respect to this latter figure. byindolence of the gate-keepers. Fig. 9 is adetail in perspective View, show- Another object is to'provide such a system ing the treadle'mounted on each rail" for acof automatic gates, with, a bumper placed on tioning at a predetermined distance the mech- 30 the railway and connected to the mechanism anism for operating the gate and the semaactivating the gates, so that upon the passage phore. g '3 of the last wagon of the train, the gates may Fig. 10 is a-detail in perspective view, showbe restored to their normal position. ingthe mechanism mounted across the rail- Another object is to provide a semaphore way for restoring, at a predetermined disassociated with the gates, which'is adapted to: tance,'the gate and the semaphore to their take two positions, one to advise the engineer normal position. of the train approaching the crossing that the Fi g. 11 is a detail ineleVatiOnal view, showway is free, and another position to advise ing the dog mechanism associated with the him that the way is occupied. gate inside the cabin,'in the normal unen- 30 -AI1d, another ObjBC'GiS t0 PIOVide the same gag-ed position, r system with an alarmrbell in the cabins whe e Fig. 12 is a detail similar t6 that of Fig. 11, I i the gates are mounted, so that when the train showing the dog mechanism in its engage popasses at a predetermined distance from said sition,

cabins, it may adviselthe persons going t0 Fig. 13 is a longitudinal elevation of the 35 cross the railway the proximity of the train, railway diagrammatically showing the conat the very moment the gates are to drop. nection between the dog mechanism associated The invention is described with reference with the gate and the bumper device placed to the figures in'the accompanying drawings, "transversely to the railway for restoring the or which: gate and the'semaphore to their normal posi- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical plan view of tion, upon the passage of the last wagon of 1 nism operating a gate on only one side of the tomary to place gates 3 which act by falling a system of gates and its operating mechanism the train. p I on both sides of a rallroad crosslng. In the drawings, 1 indicates the rails of a Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on railway, and 2 indicates a highway crossing the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, including the mechathe railway, across which highway it is cusrailroad crossing, in the lifted position of the down until across the highway 2 outside gate. the railway for preventing persons and ve- 'F'g. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2, showing hicles from crossing the railway at the time the mechanisms in the downfallen posltlon of v a train 1s next to run in one dlrection or the 50 the gate. other. These gates usually have an operating wood or metal, and

. Connected with a treadle 6 mail of the same side of the railway 1, and

r and for lifting up each 7 construction of the upper edge level at mechanism which is operated by the hand of a gate-keeper stationed in a cabin at the same place where the railroad crossing 1S.

The system constituting the object of this invention consists in a pair of gates'S, which will preferably have a length substantially equal to a half the width ofthe highway 2 with the purpose that, if at the moment of the gates 3 falling down upon the running of a train by the level crossing, a vehicle might be let stand in the middle of theiailway', the

same vehicle may pass to the other side of the railway 1 bythe space of the highway 2 not closed by the gates 3. At each of the; outside angles formed by the railway 1 with the highway 2 is situated a cabin 4' which may be constructed with some suitable material as cabins is installed the operating mechanism for a gate 3 and for an associated semaphore 5, which mechanism serves to=indicate to the engineerof the approaching train thatv the I way is free, or elseis obstructed by some other train in the proximity of the highway 2.

Each gate 3 hasilts operating mechanism mounted on the designed to be actuated by the weight: of. the train when passingat adistance from the cabin twhich may be of a sixth-of a mile, of a third of a-mile, or of a half-mile,'as it .may be ;suitable, which will depend on=the maximum speed of the train when passing by thecrossing with the highway 2, and a treadle Gshould exist on each rail and at both sides of the'highway 2, for the trains cross .ingj in both directions by the railway 1, as shown 7111 Fig. 1. Moreover, on each side of the highway 2 there will'be, across therailway 1, a bumper 7 also connected to the opera ating mechanism for each gate 3, in order to restore this mechanism to its normal position, gate and and also for restoring each semaphore 5 to its normal position. As the construction and mounting of each treadle'figand of each bumper 'Z is the 7 same at both l that it-may be arranged outside the rail and lodged in cuts 9 formed in the upper and lower wings of the rail, and said plate has its its ends with the upper surface of the rail, but in the shape of an an gular ridge 6' the vertex of which normallv projects very. slightly from the upper surfa cc of the rail, with thepeculiarity that the side of said angle 6 beginning at the pivot point tion of which inside. each of said the spindle which divides the lower wall next to the rail 1 is r n the web of the rail 1 the pawl 19 engages the pivotally mounted 111 Fig. 12, upon making the disk 21, to rotate is much longer than the other side of the same angle, with the object in view that the impact of the train against the treadle may be not extremely violent, but that it be effected gradually. Said plate 6 will exteriorly be protected by a cover formed by an angle supporting plate .11, which is at its base fixed by means of screws to a cross-tie of therailway 1, and through the vertical poris also mounted the pivotbolt 8.

Inside the cabin 4 placed at the same side of the railway 1 withrespect to the treadle 6 is loosely mounted the gate 3 on a horizontal spindle 12 supported on two opposed walls of the tower formed by said cabin l, said gate substantially being a lever of unequal arms, the longer of which arms forms the proper gate and the shorter arm of which carriesat its end a counter-weight 13 whichserves to"; lessen its move'menhand said gate? projects outside the cabin across a slot '14 formed in the wall of the tower of the cabin twhich is in front of the highwayflr Beneath the on the enlarged lower part spindle 12 and of the cabin a iothinder the 13 isplaced'a at such a height that it may course of the counter-weight shaft 15 arranged parallel to 12 and rotatively mountedin the wall next in front site wall, and in a vertical partition-wall 16 portion of the cabin in two parts. 011 said shaft 15 and near the fixed a disk 17 which shows a circular offset portion of smaller diameter 17 which shows at its periphery an angular notch 18 one of whose sides has a nearly radial direction. Said disk-17 and the offset portion 17 form a ratchet wheel with which cooperates a dog'or'pawl l9 fixed on another shaft 20 parallel to the shaft 15 mounted-1n the wall that is in front of the rail 1 and in the Vertical partition-wall 16, said shaft 20 projecting outwardly from the cabin 4 and passing through an opening to carry a disk 21 at its end. I r v The shafts 15 and 20 always tend to rotate in opposed directions by means of a coil spring 22 rolled onthe shaft 15 and another coil spring 23 rolled in opposite direction on the shaft 20, so that if the wheel 17, 17 and the pawl 19 are in the position in which notch 18, as shown in order that the pawl. 19 may disengage the notchlS, the wheel 17, 17 may rotate downwards by the action of the spring 22,'until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 11, which is the normal position, that is, when the gate 3 is in its lifted position 4).

At two points diametrically opposed. and near the periphery 'ofthe disk 17' there are tied the ends of tWo wires 23 and 2 1- formed by pivotally connected sections, one of which wires extends along the outside of the rail 1 of the rail 1, in the oppoopposed direction the treadlefi so that the same disk ings 2 in opposed ones operating the treadles 6.

' shape 28' until attached to the lower portion'of the 'treedle 6 mountedat one side '03"; the highway 2, and the other wire 2% is'extendedin by the outside of the same rail 1 until attachedto the lowerportion of the other treadle 6a mountedat the other side position to 17 may be operated by trains crossing therailroad crossdirections (Fig. 1) to, the Said wires'23 and 9A are mounted across openings in spaced angular shaped brackets 25 which are fixed by screws to the cross-ties of the railway. Said Wires willpreferably be covered by metallic tubes of such a diameter as to render of the'highway 2 and in inverted it impossible for any imprudent person to operate them by I hand from the outside.

On the shaft '15 is secured, under the tower formed by the cabin 4, an arm 26' uponwhioh restsby gravity a roller 27 rotatively carried at the lower end of a vertical bar 28 slidably mounted in guide-clasps QQ'secured to the vs all of the'tower which .isin front of the railway, and the power portionot the'bar 28 has a substantially semicircular curved which properly forms a cam surface which cooperates with a horizontal pin 30 integralwith the shorter arm ofthegate 3, between the counterweight 13 and the pivot pin 12. Said bar 28 shows at itsupper end a horizontal-pin 31 whichfreely engages a cut 32 formed at the upper edge of a ieve'r contact 41 and. a movable contact 42 which is placed in the vertical course of the free end of the pin 31, so that when the bar 28 ascends, the free endof the pin 31 may press the movable contact 42 on the stationary contact 4'1 and close the circuit of the battery 1 10 thus causing the bell 38 to sound.

On the railway 1 and at the opposite side of the highway '2 with respect to each treadle 6 and 6a, and in a place which to. the treadl'e of the same side of the high- WvayQ, and, therefore, far from, oriinmediate to the highway.

2, is arranged a bumper which serves to restore the operating lIlQCllZt nism for each gate 2 and for eachse'inaphore 5 to its normal position. Said bumper consist in a roller 7 the spindle of which is rotatively mounted in openings formed at the ends ontwo arms 40 fixed outside the railmay be close way 1 onnthe right han'dof the approaching train, o'nla horizontal spindle 4C5 whichspasses through openings formed in the" webT' of the rails 1' and which isi'supporteclinfinountings ldintegral with a supporting base secured on a cross-tie under the rails lybeihg rolled on said spindle 45, between "the two rails-,sa coil spring 42 which will tend 'tocauseftlie spindle roller 7 may be compelled :tost'ay inaposrtion slightly higher than the upper surface of the rails 1- (Fig. 10) Onthe "portionoff said spindle 45 comprisedbetweenthe two rails 1, two arms 48 are fixed close to said rails .1, in anangularposition with respect to thearms 15 to rotate in counter-clock movemenhso that in its normal position said 44: and at whose ends are 'tie'd two Wires 19 and formed by" pivotally connected sections similargtothoseof the wires 24 and 23,- and which. are; placed, like .1

those, on brackets similar to the aforesaid brackets 25, but which extendtalong the in;- side of the rails 1, ,A wire49 extended at'a side ofthe highway 2 and a wire-50 extended at the other-side ottliehighway are'tied by theiropposite cndspto diametrically' op- P w s at ach 115 5.21 n 'ountedinside the railway e a For operating the roller .7 th ef frame 5-1 of one of the rolling trucks of-thelast wagon of each tra n is provided with: an abutment and having an angularflshape projecting downward Wlbll its longer: side looking toward the advancing front of the train, and I; at such; a level, that sa d abutment=52 may engage theroller '7 and cause this to descend by rotating on the spindle- 45 against. the tension of the spring il'.

The operationsof. hetsystem is tasjrfollows upon a'tr-ainp'assing by the railway 1 -in the directionindicated by the arrowon 'Fig.

1, and the treadles fiat theoutsideof both -52 detachably secured by means of screws, 7

rails being 'operated,the fore whcels-ofthe locomotive will downwardly press the I ridge 6 of each treadle, causing the"-treadles:6 to oscillate on their horizontal pivots-8 into the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig.

9, whereby the lower ends of the treadles will draw the wires 23tied to the disks 17 arranged inside the cabins twhich disks 17 will previouslybe in. the position shown in Fig. 11 with the. respectivefpawls 19 engag ing the periphery 0f oilsetportions 17 of the disks 17 beyond the notches 18, and-the pull on the wires 23 will rotate the'ofi'set portions 17 and the disks 1? in a direction contrary to the tension exercised by the coil spring 22' in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figs. 11 and 12, until, upon the notches 18 passing the points ofthe' pa'wls 19, thosewill engage said notches 18,- the. disks 17 becoming thus locked by said pawls 18."

During this angular motion of the shafts 15,-the arms 25 will shift'upwardthe same the gates act the pins 31 engaging the movable contacts 12 of the alarm-bells and pressing them against '20 vertical bars 28.

: ward will permit the angular distance '(Figs. 4 and5), whereby the will be lifted, and the cam curved surfaces 28' thereof upon going uppins 'annexed tothe gates 31 which, in

virtue of'their; greater'heaviness at their outward projecting arms,will fall by shifting on their horizontal pivots 12' until adopting the substantially horizontal poistion shown in Fig. 5, and at the same time, upon the bars 28' being lifted up, the horizontal pins 31 carried on their'upper end will allow the downward shifting of the levers 33 which form the semaphores, into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, which will indicate to the train engineer, at a great distance, that well, whilst, upon the ends of the stationarycontacts 4:1,the alarm-bells 38 will sound, advising the passers by the highway 2 of the proximity .of a train and the fallingof the gates 3 to close the passage across the railway.

: Once the last wagon of the train, provided with the abutment 52, has'reached the other side of the highway 2 and engaged the roller 7 arranged at the right side of the'railway (Fig. 13) in the advancing direction of the train, the roller 7 will be pushed downward-- 1y, making it to shift around its horizontal spindle 45 against the tension of the coil spring 47. and thearms 48 will draw the wires 49 tied to the disks 21, and these will rotate an angular distance against the tension of the springs 23 rolled on the shafts 20,

causing the pawls 19 to separate from the notches 18, whereby the disks 17 and the oil'- set'portions 17', under the tension of the springs 22 rolled on the shafts 15 will rotate an angular distance. This'angular distance isthe one required by the arms 26 to rotate downward to the position shown in Fig. 4, whereupon the vertical bars 28 will by their proper weight slide downward, and the cam curved surfaces 28 will make to move downward the pins 30 annexed to the gates 3', and these will descend by their shorter arms, and will. ascend by their longer arms to free the level crossing at the railway, while the horizontal pins 31 will press downward the cam cuts 32 and will make to shift the levers 33 forming the semaphores, into the horizontal position indicated by entire lines in Fig. 4.

' The same thing, but with the treadles 6 and the movable bumpers 7 arranged in'an in verted position, will happen upon a train passing by the railway in a direction opposite to the'one indicated bythe arrow in Fig. 1. It is obvious that changes can'be made in the form and arrangement of the parts, with out their being considered as altering the essential character of the invention whose spirit or scope is defined in the appended claims.

lifting ofthe horizontal roads, the combination -1ng cam means engaging the railway,

What we claim'is: 15m 5 1. Ina system of automaticgates for railroads, the combination of'gates oscillatorily mounted outside:- the railway, slidable cam means engagingthe gates',, -otatory ratchet means, drawing.- means extended longitudinally to the railway andconn ected at an end with the rotatory ratchet means, and oscillatory treadleslmounted adjacent tothe rails of sothat upon the pass of a train the treadles maybev pressed downwardly by the weightof the train, the oscillatory treadles and the drawing ratchet means may cause the rotatorymeans to rotate apredetermined angular distance,iand the rotatory ratchet means may cause the slid ablecam means to rise and thereby the gates to fall down;

2. In asystem of automatic gates for railroads, the combination of mounted at avertical allelito the railway,

gates oscillatorily plane substantially parsemaphores oscillatorily 'mounted ata vertical plane substantially per- 'pendicular to the railway, slidable cam means engaging the gates rotatory ratchet means engaging by gravity said slidable cam means, rawing means extended longitudinally to the railway andconnected at an .end with the rotatory ratchet'means, and oscillating treadles mounted adjacent to the rails of the railway and connected ;with the/other end ofthe drawing means, so thatupon the pass of. a train the oscillating treadles may be pressed downwardly drawing means may rotate the rotary ratchet means a predetermined angular distance, and the rotatory ratchet means may cause the rising of by its weight, and the the slidable cam means and thereby means engaging by gravity saidslidable cam the railway and connected-at the other end with. the drawingi means,

the falling of the gatesand thechange of position of the semaphores. I

3. In a system of automatic gates for railof gates oscillatorily mounted outside. the railway, vertically slidother end to the oscillating bumpers, so that upon the pass of a train this may press downwardly the treadles, and the drawing means connected to same may rotate the rotatory ratchet means until locked by the dog means, the ga-testhereby falling down, and that upon the gates, rotatory a drawing means may member may rest by gravity,

the last wagoniof the train passing beyond the gates, one of the oscillating bumpers may be engaged by the train, thus causing the release of the rotatory ratchet means and the lifting up of the gates to their normal "position.,

4. In a system of automatic gates for berengaging each gate, a horizontal shaft adapted to rotate against thetension of a spring below the lower end of each cam member, an arm fixed to said horizontal shaft and upon which rests the cam member, aratchet wheel, a ratchet wheel on said shaft, drawing means longitudinally extended to the railway and connected at an end to the ratchet wheel, and treadles oscillatorily mounted next tothe rails of the railway and provided with a ridge which normally projects a little over the upper surface of the rail, so that upon a train passing, the treadles may shift downwardly by the train weight, and the rotate theratchet wheels a predetermined angular distance, and the cam member may thereby rise and cause the gates to fall down. a

5. In a system of automatic gates for railroads, the combination of gates oscillatorily mounted outside the railway and parallel to same, the shorter arm of each gate having a horizontal projection, a cam member vertically slidable adjacent the shorter arm of each gate and provided with a cam curved surface adapted to engage the horizontal projection of the shorter arm of each gate, a horizontal shaft adapted to rotate against the tension of a spring below the lower end of each cam member, an arm on said shaft and upon which the lower end on said horizontal shaft, drawing means extended longitudinally to the railway and connected at an end to the ratchet wheel, treadles oscillatorily mounted next to the rails ofthe railway and provided with a ridge which normally projects a little over the upper surface of the rail, so that upon the pass of a train the treadles may shift downwardly by the train weight, and the drawing means rotate the ratchet wheels a predetermined angular distance. the cam member causing the falling down of the longer arm of the gate by the rising action of the supporting arm secured to said shaft.

6. In a system of automatic gates for railroads, the combination of gates of unequal arms oscillatorily mounted outside the railway and parallel to same, semaphores in the shape of levers of unequal arms pivotally mounted above the gates at a tially perpendicular to the railway, each gate having a pin projecting from the shorter arm thereof, a cam bar vertically slidable adjacent a vertically sliding cam meme of the slidable cam a ratchet wheel plane substanthe smaller;arm of'eachgate and the semaphore lever and provided with a cam curved surface adapted to engage the horizontal pin projecting from the shorter arm of thegate', afprojection lat theto of the, slidable bar edge ofjthe shorter arm ofeach semaphore lever, an arm fixed to said shaft and upon which rests-by gravity a roller carried-at the lower endcf ti'ieslidable bar, a horizontal I i .770 which freely: engages acamcut on the upper shaft, ,adaptedto; rotate against the tension of, a spring b low'thelower end ofeach cam ear, ratchet wheel secured to the same horizontal shaft, drawing means extended longi arc-nearly to the railway and connected at an adjacent the rails and provided witha ridge forming an obtuse angle and which normally projects a little over the latorily" mounted top of therail, said treadles being connected roads, the combination of gates of unequal arm-s oscillatorily mounted outside the railway and parallel to same, semaphores in the form of levers of unequal arms pivotally mounted at a plane substantially perpendicular to the railway above the gates, a horizontal shaft rotating against the tension of a coilspring-below the pivot point of each gate, a cam bar vertically slidable adjacent to the shorter arm of each gate and to each semaphore lever, and provided with a cam curved surface which engages a horizontal projection of the shorter arm of each gate, a projecting pin at the top of the slidable bar and which pin freely engages acam cut at the upper edge of the shorter arm of each semaphore lever, an arm fixed to said shaft and upon which rests rotatorily carried at slidable bar, a disk provided with a notch for a pawl secured to said horizontal shaft,'a second horizontal shaft rotating against the tension of a coil spring in a direction contrary I by gravity a roller the lower end of the endvt'o theratchet wheel, and treadles os'e'ilto the rotating direction of the first shaft, a

the rails at one side andat a distance from the gates, and each one provided with a ridge forn'iing an obtuse angle which normally projects a little over the top of the rail, drawing means connecting the treadles to the notch s a i saeea,

disks, a spindlearranged transversely to the railway and below the uppersurface' of the l railsat the opposed side with respect to the treadles, a bumper supportedo'n said spindle outside the rails andadap'ted to receive the impact of an abutment'projecting from the last wagon of a. train, and drawlng means connesting arms fixed on the spindle transversely to the railway to the second'disk, so that upon 7 the pass of a trainover'the treadles, these i may rotate downwardly causing thelowering of the gates and the semaphoresyand'upon the pass of the same train over a bumper arranged beyond the gates, the gates vandthe semaphores may be caused to lift up.

In witness whereof We aflix our signature-s. PEDRQ PABLO ESTEVEZ. LUIS EN RIQUE ESTEVEZ. 

